The seventh annual Festival of Lights, organized by the Downtown Development Authorityand the Chamber of Commerce, kicked off the holiday season with bangs and sparkles as area families ignored a chill drizzle to attend this colorful, joyous event in Stockbridge, Saturday, Nov. 24.

Twinkling lights and festive holiday music combined with the scent of popcorn from Kate’s Kettle Corn to dazzle a downtown crowd of 600 to 800 attendees. More than 200 Children came away from their visits with Santa in high spirits, as his “nice” list was long this year. They scampered from one Elf Stop to another, frosting sugar cookies, making stockings, and decorating ornaments with the help of volunteers at participating businesses that also handed out much-appreciated hot chocolate and candy canes.

Inside the Township Hall, Silvia Wisman helps set up skillfully built and wonderfully imaginative gingerbread houses–all lined up for a competition. Photo credit Jenny Smith.

Awesome Dogs sold concessions on the square, and Crossroads Community Church passed out pizza. All while the Opps’Doyle Valley Percherons provided relaxing jaunts through the village in a stately horse-drawn carriage, compliments of Enbridge.

Inside the Township Hall, skillfully built and wonderfully imaginative gingerbread houses lined up for a competition, with the contest win going to the Stockbridge First Robotics Team. Outside brimmed with the Tree Gala, sponsored by Eaton Federal Credit Union.

Then darkness set in, and Emcee Gordie Kunzleman introduced Jean Bliss to ceremoniously light the township tree and kick off the procession.

The Electric Parade bedazzled spectators with holiday lights artistically painting two fire engines, rescue vehicles and even a couple of county snowplows. Multiple brightly lit floats, including one from Juel Childcare and Eaton Federal Bank, rolled past to music from the Stockbridge High School Jazz Band in a giant sleigh. Floats featured tiny, lighted houses, a vardo wagon, and even classic cars. Hot air balloon-fueled heaters on trucks flamed into the sky and warmed the crowd. Local juniors and seniors proudly carried banners declaring the winners of various categories:

Grand Marshalls Jo Mayer and Paul Crandall waved from their seat of honor in a SAESA fire truck.

Best equipment: Livingston County Road Commission

Most Comical: Wild Sanitation

Most Original: Animal Blood Resources

Most Detailed: Dansville Fire Department

Most Creative: Juel Childcare

Best Effort: Stockbridge Jazz Band

Grand Marshalls Jo Mayer and Paul Crandall, wrapped in lights, waved from their seat of honor in a SAESA fire truck.

Then came another highlight: Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived in a horse-drawn white carriage—a spectacular sight. Santa wished all a Merry Christmas, and the joy of the season could be read on the faces of all in attendance. Children of all ages ended the evening with a lighter heart and refreshed community spirit.

The seventh annual Festival of Lights, organized by the Chamber of Commerce, kicked off the holiday season with bangs and sparkles as 600 to 800 area families ignored a chill drizzle to attend this colorful, joyous event in Stockbridge, Saturday, Nov. 24. Photo credit Jenny Smith

Floats featured tiny, lighted houses, a vardo wagon, and even classic cars. Hot air balloon-fueled heaters on trucks flamed into the sky and warmed the crowd. Photo credit Joan Tucker

Hot air balloon-fueled heaters on trucks flamed into the sky and warmed the crowd. Photo credit Joan Tucker

Photo credit Joan Tucker

More than 100 children scampered from one Elf Stop to another, frosting sugar cookies, making stockings, and decorating ornaments with the help of volunteers at participating businesses that also handed out much-appreciated hot chocolate and candy canes. Photo credit Jenny Smith

Children came away from their visits with Santa in high spirits. Photo credit Jenny Smith

Children of all ages ended the evening with a lighter heart and refreshed community spirit. Photo credit Jenny Smith

Crossroads Community Church passes out pizza. Photo credit Jenny Smith

A child experiences the wonder of the season. Photo credit Jenny Smith

Downtown brightens the season. Photo credit Jenny Smith

The Electric Parade bedazzled spectators with holiday lights artistically painting two fire engines, rescue vehicles and even a couple of county snowplows. Photo credit Jenny Smith

Memories in the making. Photo credit Jenny Smith

Music from the Stockbridge High School Jazz Band rings from a giant sleigh. Photo credit Jenny Smith

Then came another highlight: Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived in a horse-drawn white carriage—a spectacular sight. Photo credit Jenny Smith

An Adult night out for our Panther Community and surrounding friends. This is a fun filled night of chance. Enjoying the odds of the lottery/Bingo. Raffle/Auction atmosphere Connecting with local vendors for shopping prior to auction starting. All while supporting the Panther Cub PTO in their efforts to provide support to our Panther Cubs and Teachers. Vendor Shopping takes place 6-7pm and in Mania Bidding will start at 7pm. Bring your quarters and get ready for a fun night!!!

Help Outreach turn hotcakes into help for your neighbors! Stockbridge McDonald’s is generously donating $2 of every $2.50 ticket sold for the All-You-Can-Eat delicious hotcake supper being held this Thursday, March 7 from 4 – 7 p.m.

One dollar spent by Outreach at the Greater Lansing Food Bank allows them to buy over $4 worth of food. For 2018, Outreach spent $4553.43 at the Greater Lansing Food Bank and received $26,024.88 worth of food that was distributed to area residents in need. In addition to food, Outreach helps those who qualify with transportation, housing, utilities, prescriptions and more.

Outreach serves those who live in the Stockbridge Community School district. They are newly located in the Stockbridge Activity Center (old middle school). Their entrance is door #20 off the back parking lot on Cherry Street, just north of Elm Street. Hours are Mondays and Fridays from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. and Wednesdays from 1 – 6 p.m. For more information, please call 517-851-7285, go to https://www.stockbridgecommunityoutreach.org/ or check them out on Facebook.

Minecraft Game Night (Ages 8-15)Get your game on with fellow Minecrafters in an after-hours event open to beginner,intermediate and advanced players. Refreshments provided. No registration required.Fridays, March 8 and May 10 • 7–8:30 p.m.

The Plainfield United Methodist Church will be serving a Chicken and Biscuit Supper on March 9 beginning at 5 p.m. at 17845 M-36, north of Gregory. Free will donation. Take out available. All are welcomed. For more information contact Kate Humrich at 517-851-8932.

Hispanic Outlaws in the Old West.Join Carlos Villegas-Castaneda in a program about 19th century Hispanic outlaws – ageneral view of motives, cases and motivations to break the law. Mr. Villegas-Castanedais an instructor of Spanish language, literature and culture at Adrian CollegeWednesday, March 13 • 4 – 5 p.m.

CHELSEA, Mich. (March 4, 2019) — Beginning March 14, St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea will host a 12-week family-to-family educational program to help parents, friends, and caregivers understand and support individuals with serious mental illness. The family-to-family program is one of several signature programs developed by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and is an evidenced-based program; it has quantitative research to support its effectiveness.

Every year, SRSLY hosts a 3×3 Basketball Tournament for youth! This year is the 6th Annual and will be held on Saturday, March 16 at the Stockbridge Jr/Sr High School in both gymnasiums. Doors open at 8:30 am and games start at 9:00 am.

Boys and girls in grades 4-12 can participate, and the community is invited to cheer them on! Concession items are sold. Team registration forms will be available in the school offices and on our website at www.srslystockbridge.org/basketball as the tournament date gets closer. The cost is $10 per team.

Volunteers are needed to help with everything from selling concessions to running the scoreboards! Adults & youth can sign up to help by clicking here: 2019 3×3 Volunteer Sign Up

Prizes will be awarded to: 1st place winners in each division, 1st place winners of 3-point contest, Best Team Name, and Best Dressed Team.

If you would like to help plan this year’s tournament, our next meeting is Thursday, February 7, 6:00 to 7:00 pm at the Crossroads Office, 5000 S. Clinton Street in Stockbridge. Dinner will be provided.

The church of Christ located at4783 s. m-52 Stockbridge opens it’s doorsfor free food and clothing March 16 and April 20from 10a.m. until noon. Food and clothing are availableevery 3rd Saturday of the month during 10 until noon

TO REGISTER: Please call the Smith Office at 517-851-7735, ext. 0, to place your child’s name on our Round-Up list.

REGISTRATION GUILDELINES:

Kindergarten — If your child will be five on or before September 1, 2019, they will be eligible for Kindergarten for the 2019/2020 school year.

Young 5’s — If your child will be five between September 1, 2019 and December 1, 2019, they will be eligible for our Young 5’s program.

* If your child’s birthday is between the September 1 and December 1, 2019 dates and you would like them to attend Kindergarten, please send an email to Mr. Edwards, Principal at Smith Elementary at edwardsb@panthernet.net. Explain specifically that you would like for your child to be considered for Kindergarten and list any reasons that would help inform the school. Mr. Edwards will contact you with further registration information.

Items needed for registration

To complete registration, parents/guardians must provide all of the following documentation during their round-up session on March 21, 2019:

St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea to host freeNational Diabetes Prevention Program Beginning in March

Informational session scheduled for March 21

CHELSEA, Mich. (March 4, 2019) — St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea will host the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) beginning March 28. The NDPP will meet regularly on Thursdays from 4 to 5 p.m., for 16 weeks, in the Dexter Wellness Center, located at 2810 Baker Road in Dexter.

NDPP helps those at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating right, increasing physical activity and losing a modest amount of weight. In a classroom setting, a trained lifestyle coach facilitates a small group of participants in learning about behavior changes. Topics include healthier eating, getting started with physical activity, overcoming stress, staying motivated and more. The group helps to motivate and encourage each other.

This program is free, but registration is required. For more information or to register, please call 734-593-5276.

For people not sure if a Diabetes Prevention Program is right for them, they are invited to attend a free informational session at the Dexter Wellness Center on March 21, from 4 to 5 p.m.

St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea to host a peer-to-peereducational program for individuals living with mental illness

CHELSEA, Mich. (March 4, 2019) — Beginning March 21, St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea will host a 12-week peer-to-peer educational program to help individuals living with mental illness who want to discover new coping strategies, reduce stigma, gain knowledge, connect with others who share a similar experience, and find volunteer and advocacy opportunities.

Classes will be led by trained NAMI peer mentors who also live with mental illness. This is not a support group, but a supportive, safe and confidential program.

Family Game NightTake a break with family and friends on selected Fridays. Play Sushi Go Party!,Codenames, Spot it Junior!, Animal upon Animal, Apples to Apples and more. We’llhave snacks, too.Fridays, March 22, April 26, May 17 • 5:00 – 6:45 p. m.

Preschool Storytimes with crafts (Ages 3-6)This series was designed especially for 3-6 year olds, but younger patrons are welcomewith close adult supervision.Wednesdays, March 27, April 3, 10, 17, 24 and May 1 • 12:15 p.m